Professor Mohammed Jahed, formerly of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Professor at Wits University, has been appointed to head the Parliamentary Budget Office.
The announcement was made today by National Assembly Speaker, Mr Max Sisulu, and National Council of Provinces Chairperson, Mr Mninwa Mahlangu, in their addresses to the two Houses during the debate on Parliament’s budget.
Professor Jahed’s appointment will be subject to a five-year performance based renewable contract. His conditions of service will be substantially the same as those of the top rank of the public service, as per subsection 15(5)(b) of the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act of 2009.
The Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act of 2009 (Act No.9 0f 2009) provides for a procedure to amend money bills before Parliament. This includes the national budget, which, until the Act was passed, could either be approved or rejected by Parliament – but not amended.
Section 15 of the Act establishes the Parliamentary Budget Office, which has the mandate to provide independent, objective and professional advice and analysis to Parliament on matters related to the budget and other money bills.
Professor Jahed holds a PhD in Economics and has served as senior economic planning specialist at the Development Bank of Southern Africa, as an academic at the University of the Witwatersrand, as director of economics with the National Business Initiative, as Chief Economist and Head of policy, strategy and research of the NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) Secretariat and as Divisional Executive: Policy, Research and Intergration at DBSA. He was seconded to Parliament by the DBSA in May 2012 and appointed by Parliament’s Presiding Officers to work on establishing the office.
Parliament’s theme for this year - “socio-economic development through oversight and public participation” - emphasises the continued importance of Parliament’s oversight and public participation roles in our democracy, almost 20 years after our first democratic election on 27 April 1994. The establishment of the budget office, together the oversight and accountability model and the public participation framework which is being finalised are examples of how these roles are being enhanced.
In addition, to address the increasing complexity of legislation, a Legal Drafting Unit has been established and an electronic drafting system will be introduced. This system, once established, will enable Parliament to make amendments to bills available to Members and the public in real time.
